1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of protective switches for power sources, and more particularly to a novel automatic shut-off switch which is responsive to either motion displacement of a mechanical element, such as a ball, and/or which is responsive to displacement of the mechanical element to activate an on/off switch to its off position in order to cut-off and shut down a main power source.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to employ a circuit breaker arrangement which acts as a terminal for a plurality of household or dwelling circuits. Generally a plurality of individual and separate circuit breakers are incorporated into a circuit box and all of the circuits are connected in common to a single on/off switch. Normally, when one of the circuits is overloaded, the individual circuit breaker for that circuit will automatically open to disconnect the electric current supplied from the main power source. However, problems and difficulties have been encountered which stem largely from the fact that all of the circuit breakers are independent of one another and only the main power switch is common. This power switch is overload operated and does not have any automatic shut-off capability responsive to vibration or natural disturbances.
Conventional main circuit breaker installations having a common on/off switch are for overload protection as described above. However, such circuit breaker shut-off switches are individually or manually operated and do not respond to vibration or violent shaking conditions, such as encountered during an earthquake, or to a shaking movement. The master circuit breaker switch will not automatically shut-off in response to shaking or physical displacement of the circuit box or dwelling in which it is installed. During a violent earthquake, the master switch and all the individual circuit switches will remain “on” so that any falling debris or the like that falls may sever “hot” wires which will cause excessive sparking resulting in fire.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide an automatic shut-off switch arrangement which can be used in combination with the main on/off switch in a circuit breaker network and wherein such an automatic switch is responsive to a mechanical displacement of an element, such as a ball or the like. Displacement of the ball may be in response to the resultant movement from an ongoing earthquake and the main automatic shut-off switch arrangement may be mechanically actuated or electrically actuated.